Locking attachment for sidewalk-elevator doors.



No. 733,652. 'PATENTED JULY 14, 1903. -P. H. JACKSON.

LOCKING ATTACHMENT FOR SIDEWALK ELEVATOR DOORS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 26, 19.63-

K0 MODEL.

W INVENTOR.

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UNITED STATES iatented July 14, 1903.

PETER H. JACKSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LOCKING ATTACHMENT FOR SlDEWALK-ELEVATOR DOORS.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,652, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed March 26, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER H. JAoKsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Looking Attachments for Sidewalk-Elevator Doors; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in looking attachments for doors which are closable upon sidewalks and in like places and especially used in conjunction with elevators which run between the basementand the sidewalk-level. Such doors are usually provided with spring or gravity actuated latches which operate automatically to lock the doors from within after they are closed and which are retracted to release the doors by the upward movement of the elevator.

My invention consists in such a construction of the gravity-actuated latches that they will be retracted by the closing of the doors when the latter are allowed to close without using the bail.

My invention also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an elevator with my invention attached. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the locking attachment for light doors. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of part of the locking device with pendent weight instead of spring. Fig. 4 is a modification of the locking attachment. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partially broken away, of locking bolts and lever embodying my invention.

It is the object of my invention to so construct the slidable weight-actuated lockingbolts of elevator-hatchway doors that when the doors are allowed to close other than by means of the descending hail the bolts will be retracted by the action of closing and injury to them prevented.

As shown in the drawings, A is the framework of an elevator-hatchway, having flapdoors 2, hinged upon each side and closable in the center. One of these doors closes over a flange of the other, thus holding it in place, and the outer door is provided with bolts 3, slidable longitudinally in guides upon the Serial No. 149,663. (No model.)

edge of the door, as shown at 8. These bolts are so contrived as to be operated by a lever 4, which projects from a sleeve or arm 9, so that as the door commences to close the weight will fall inwardly, and acting through cams, screw-threads, or like connections the weight will be sufficient to push the bolt outward in each direction. The ends of these bolts slide in the sockets or beneath'the framework of the hatchway, and thus lock the doors with out further attention. \Vhen employed in conjunction with elevators which move from the basement to the level of the floor or sidewalk, the elevator 5 is provided with an upwardly-extending bail 6, rising to a considerable height, as shown. The curvature of the bail is such that it first strikes the projecting lever 4, pushing it up or around, and thus retracting the bolts, leaving the doors free tobe opened. The continued upwardmovement of the elevator causes the bail to then push the doors up until they stand in an open position substantially vertical and at right angles with the sidewalk. When the elevator descends, the curvature of the bail allows the doors to close gently, following it down, and the bolts will be retained in their retracted position by the pressure of the bail upon the lever until the doors are fully closed,after which the lever is released by the further downward movement of the bail and the bolts are shot into their places to lock the doors. It is customary during the day to open these doors and to fix them with hook-rods extending between them or in other manner, and the elevator is run down to the bottom, thus leaving the open hatchwayspace for ventilation and light. Careless watchmen or clerks often close these doors at night by disengaging the rods and dropping the doors without .taking pains to raise the elevator so as to close the doors gently and retain the belts in their retracted position until after the doors are fully closed. The result of this is that as soon as the doors commence to close the unsupported lever 4 falls forward by gravity, thus projecting the bolts before the door is closed, and these bolts, striking upon the framework of the elevatorhatch way with the force caused by the weight of the doors, will be bent and their function injured or destroyed.

In my present invention I construct the projecting ends of the bolts with sharp bevels or inclines, as shown at 7. These beveled ends are preferably made of considerably greater depth than the diameter of the bolt-s in order to provide inclines of sufficient length to act against the edges of the elevator-hatchway, and thus retract the bolts, so that they will pass the hatchway and after the doors are closed will be forced out so as to lock them.

The bolts 3 may be made of iron or steel, of rectangular or other shape, and their inner ends enter a tubular sleeve 9, having inclined slots 12. The inner ends of the bolts have pins 11 extending into the inclined slots 12 and the bolts are projected or retracted by the swinging of the weighted lever 4 of the sleeve or in other equivalent manner.

In order to save the expense of turning the ends of the bolts to fit the tubular sleeve and also to prevent the parts from being fixed by rusting in case of non-use for some time, I take brass tubes 13, which will slide easily in the sleeve 9. The inner ends of the bolts 3 are suitably roughened and inserted into the tubes, and lead, zinc, or other soft metal is filled in around the bolt ends, thus, when set, locking them firmly to the tubes. The pins 11 project through the tubes into the spiral or cam slots, and the bolt ends thus formed always move freely in the sleeve.

The ends 7 of bolts 3 may be beveled without any device other than the central main actuating-lever, as shown in Fig. 5. This part of my device requires the weight of heavy doors to force back the bolts in passing the projections of the door-frame, and in doing so the inner ends of the bolts 3 move the pins in the slots, thereby revolving the sleeve and raising the lever, and after the outer ends of the bolts have passed the projection on the hatchway frame the lever drops by gravity and forces out the bolts into the places intended for their reception, thereby locking the doors. For doors of light weight that will not force back the bolts, re-

volve the sleeve, and turn the gravity-lever at in passing the projections on the frame I use independent latches, as shown at 7 in Figs. 2 and 3. These beveled latch portions may be connected with the bolts 3 at any suitable points, so as to be independently retractile. This may be effected by channeling, grooving, or otherwise so forming the ends that the outer portions may be slidably guided with relation to the inner ones and springs, as at 1-1, normally press the latches outward; but when the beveled ends strike the hatchwayframe by the closing of the doors the springs yield to allow the latches to retract and pass the hatchway, after which they are immediately forced out into locking position.

It will be understood that pendent weights 1%; might be substituted for the springs, as shown in Fig. 3, and operate the latches in the same manner as the springs 14.

The bolts 3 may also be made to engage a spring-pressed retractile latch 7, which is slidable upon the frame instead of being carried by the bolt, the operation in either case being essentially the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with an elevator, a curved bail carried thereby, doors closable over the hatchway-frame, one of said doors having sectional slidable locking-bolts movable thereon, a lever acting to project said bolts when the doors are closed, and to hold them retracted until the doors have been fully closed, and means whereby the latching ends of the bolts may be retracted in passing a projection on the frame during the closing of the door.

2. The combination in an elevator-hatchway of doors closable thereon, bolts slidable parallel with the edge of one of the doors adapted to engage and look the door when closed, said bolts having slidable latches, and means whereby said latches are retracted to pass the catches, and automatically projected to lock the door.

3. The combination with an elevator-hatchway and doors closable thereon, of slidable locking-bolts guided on one of said doors and provided with latching ends, a weighted 1ever acting to project said bolts when the doors are closed and to hold them retracted until the doors have been fully closed, a spirallyslotted sleeve rigid with the lever and turnable in line with the inner ends of the bolts,

sleeves fixed to and inclosing the inner ends of the bolts and turnable within said slotted sleeve, and pins carried by the bolts and operating in the slots of the sleeve.

4. Hinged elevator-hatchway doors having latch-bolts slidable upon the free edge of the member thereof, and means whereby said bolts are automatically projected when the door is closed, independent latches slidable upon the ends of the bolts, said latches having the outer ends beveled, pressure devices by which said latches are normally projected, said devices being adapted to yield to allow the latches to retract to pass the engaging catches and afterward be projected to lock the doors.

5. A latching device for hatchway-doors consisting of bolts slidable upon the edge of one of the doors, independent latches on the outer ends of the bolts, a gravity-weight and connections by which the bolts are projected when the doors are closed, and means Whereby the latches are retracted to pass their engaging catches.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

PETER H. JACKSON.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, J ESSIE O. BRODIE. 

